The Minor Fall and the Major Lift
by bipolar broadway baker
Summary: Sequel to "It's a Cold and It's a Broken Hallelujah". Read that first, or this'll make no sense. Sabriel, Destiel, rape, torture, assorted angst, fluff, and hurt/comfort. Good luck... MUAHAHHAHAHa!
1. Chapter 1

**How thrilling… I've never written a sequel before. **** I hope you like it. The same warnings still apply, and be ready for some major angst. MUHAHAHAHAHA!**

** I've started a new story, as you probably know if you have me on your alerts. It's called You'll Never Walk Alone (yes, I like to name my fics after songs) and it's a Teen!chesters fic with no slashing- except for two OCs. I'm very excited about it, so let me know what you think!**

** I own nothing.**

** Enjoy!**

"Sam." Dean called his brother over to the rickety kitchen table at Bobby's as he drank his first coffee of the day. Cas was by his side, silently leaning their shoulders together. Cas looked lost and sad- the research was taking the biggest toll on him, and Dean was worried about his angel. Dean had news for Sammy, and he wasn't gonna like it. He sighed and prepared himself for the bitching as Sam leaned in the kitchen archway and gave his full attention. Gabe was still asleep. "Cas and Bobby were doing some research, and uhm, they've got us a pretty solid lead…."

"Well, that's great. Why do I feel like there's a 'but…' coming on here?" Sammy was smart. Dean internally braced himself, clearing his throat and setting down his mug.

""But, it's about half a mile from the farmhouse-"

"No." Of course.

"Sam-"

"No, Dean! I'm not putting him through that, he's still… he's not_… well_." He suddenly looked very tired and dragged a big hand down his despairing face. They figured that with healed wings, Gabe's internal problems might improve, too.

They were wrong. Gabriel wouldn't say anything, and he always claimed he was fine, but he wasn't and everybody knew it was eating him alive. Poor Sam was running himself ragged, worrying about how to help his archangel while sparing his pride or whatever else was holding him back.

"It's been a month, Sam! Maybe what the guy needs is a little bit'a closure! You can't hide the memories forever, and we _need_ the information he can give-!"

"So he's a research source! That's great, Dean." He took a deep breath, trying to collect his thoughts and anger "Ya know, we don't know what these memories are. We don't know for sure what happened and how much it'll hurt him!" He looked so terrified in that moment that Dean flashed to think that he might be right. No matter how much they read, researched, or saw at that Headquarters, they didn't know for sure what kind of torture Gabriel was subject too.

But, they couldn't just let him jump at every move and sound for the rest of eternity. And, other angels were being hurt and killed and sold: Gabe needed _Sam_, the population needed _them_.

"This isn't just about your boyfriend, Sammy: Angels are dying, Cas can't leave without one of us for fear of getting taken, the angels are never safe until we save them. We need what he knows-"

"I-I'll do it." Everybody jumped at the uncharacteristically timid voice behind them. Gabriel looked exhausted and more than just scared. He didn't know his own past, and the flashbacks could only get worse once he filled the gaps. Sam walked over to him, and Gabe took a carefully calculated move toward him until they were practically touching noses. Sam brought his chin up until the archangel met his eyes.

"Really?"

"I'd rather know everything than get all these mixed up snip-its from my subconscious…" he mumbled, trying to look anywhere but at the hunter. Sam heaved a sigh and reached out a hand and carded his fingers in the golden hair.

"You _have_ been having flashbacks…" he murmured sadly.

"I... yeah. I just-" he tried to explain, but was cut off by Sam.

"You said you were fine, Gabriel. That's not fine."

The archangel didn't even respond, Looking back down at his feet with shameful tears glazing his eyes. He hid them quickly, but Sam saw and sighed, coming back to the original point.

"Are you sure?" he gently took his hand from Gabe's hair and fluidly placed it over his cheek, stroking the cheekbone with his thumb. _Please don't lie to me, please don't._.. Gabe just huffed a humorless laugh and fixed his hunter with a rueful smile.

"My brothers and sisters are dying. It doesn't matter if I _want_ to do it or not." his smile dropped and Sam finally really saw just how tired Gabriel was. He pressed his lips tenderly over the angel's forehead. Okay... "We can stop at whatever time you want, okay? Whenever you need to stop, just tell me."

Gabe just nodded, murmuring some shaky response as Sam's arm wrapped around his shoulders. His wide and terrified eyes following his feet as they were guided out into the salvage yard. It was quiet and early and they wouldn't be interrupted.

"What do you remember?" Sam figured he ought to start at the basics. He and Gabe fell in step with wary silence as they sat down on the hood of a dusty old pick up.

"Uhm... not much. Not any of the time I was... held. But I remember you telling me all about how you saved the world. Other than that, just some vague dreams and stuff... I-I remember you finding me, too..." Sam felt his heart leap and plummet at the same time: he had to tell Gabriel everything. And he wasn't even sure what was right.

He also got a second chance with something important.

"Okay..." he took a deep breath, wiping sweaty palms against his jeans. He didn't know how he'd react to the memories and- if nothing else- he had to say this. Gabe needed to know and remember this. "Before we get all messed up in this- and this is gonna be all sappy and sugary-"

"I thought we established that I liked sugar, Sammy." Gabe quipped, making Sam give a nervous chuckle.

"I love you. I think I have... for a long time, and I just- no matter what you remember from what happened to you- just, keep that. Okay? You make me so happy and I love you-" it felt so good rolling off his tongue that he was almost indignant when Gabriel cut him off, until he realized that lips were crushing onto his and arms were winding around his neck. He smiled against the archangel's mouth, bringing up his hands and cradling his face. They separated, but remained close.

"I love you too. You- you've said that to me before... I was... I was freaking out about something and... I remember that." he closed his eyes and rested his forehead against Sam's chest. " Everything hurt so bad... Sam..." he trailed off into a whimper and he wrapped the strong bands of his arms around the petite angel as they sat beside him on the hood. "Why- why was I in so much pain?" he sounded like he didn't want to know the answer. Sam took a deep breath as he prepared himself for the onslaught.

"You were taken. You said that they got you around a week after you came back. They- they tortured you, experimented on you, and-"_ raped you, prepared to sell you away into slavery rings _how could he say that calmly? He couldn't say it at all, it was too.. maybe he didn't have to know it. Maybe it would disappear if he let it go... "they manifested your wings and restrained your grace with-"

"Collars." his voice was already flat and dead. Oh no.

"Yeah... Baby, it's-" Okay? How could it possibly be okay? It wasn't. It would never be okay and Sam's words died before he could say them. "I'm here, Gabe..." he muttered; at least that was a fact. It was something provable and instant and hopefully comforting as he gently squeezed his arms around Gabriel's shoulders as the tear glazed too heavily for the angel to see through them. His entire body shook and hands absently started to dig into his sides. Breathing got a little labored. Sam started to panic a little now, as the picking at the skin of his sides turned into full on scratching and manic trembling at his wrists and ribcage, like the bonds were still there.

"Gabe?"

No answer.

"Gabriel, come on... shush, baby. I'm here, I'm here and you're safe now..."

Then the rambling started. Gabe was truly aware of anything around him anymore, and Sam felt his heart pounding in his ears.

"I- I remember.. he- I was powerless. They s-shoved us into b-barracks and... the- the _wings_... I didn't... the fledglings, why?" he he trailed off into tears and leaned over, trying to take deep breaths, only to be cut short by the phantom collar choking tighter around his neck, which he tore at desperately.

"Gabriel? Gabe, sotp! You're gonna hurt yourself-"

"SAMMM! SA-AMMMY!... Sammy- I... _Sam..._" he screamed and sobbed hopelessly, trailing off: both nestling closer to Sam and pulling away.

_Cuffs dug harshly against his wrists as Gabriel was forced deeper into the forest, trailing after the small troop of grimy men; like some dog, as they tugged him by his chain. The metal was uncomfortably tight around his throat, and he held his head precariously to avoid the nasty barbs that lined his neck. The strange choking necklace was unlike anything Gabriel had ever felt: he was drained. His limbs were leaden and dead, his head fuzzy, and his grace flickering dully in his forcefully manifested wings. He didn't know why they brought out his wings, bu his heart pounded at the vulnerability of it all as he pulled the walls of golden feathers closer to his back. _

_Pain suddenly erupted and blood gushed and tore out in warm, wet rivers down into his shirt as the men gave a yank on the chain- leash- with violent force. He couldn't lag or stall with these people. Without smiting powers, that had been his best bet. He suppressed a shudder- these people wouldn't get the satisfaction of his fear- and tried to stand a little taller until he was lead roughly into a clearing of trees._

_What the hell...?_

"_Head down, Bird." A gruff voice spit out, and a rough hand pushed down on the back of his head as he entered... a root cellar? The dirt floor was tightly packed but it still squelched under his feet like it was... wet? Gabriel's head pounded, and his grace throbbed as the barbs dug into his neck... why couldn't he heal himself? Grace was draining out of him like water in a __sieve and a panicked helplessnes yanked at his heart. He was completely helpless at the hands of __these people- and they did not look happy with him._

_Hunters?_

_ He hadn't played Loki since he got... back. There was no vengeance to seek, for all he knew._

_ Panic swelled in his weak body as the chain jerked him forward and he slipped on the slimy ground, dropping to his knees with a shout of surprise and pain. His hands felt warm against the dirt, wet with whatever covered and soaked into it... he pulled his hands up like they hit a hot stove as he watched the red oozing up between his fingers from the ground._

_ Blood. A lot of it, and it wasn't not human... he could tell. Get it off, get it off, get it off! He couldn't catch his breath... it couldn't be angel blood, these people didn't know how to... oh. The glint of the silver blade shone in the musty light: an angel blade? But, how did they...?_

_ "You vermin sure are hard to dispose of... thank god we got Harkness now..." Gabe felt the remnants of his grace almost sparking in his chest as he feebly lifted himself up to look at the hunter. _

_ "I don't know many rats'n insects that could single-handedly level a city..." he quipped coolly. The connection between boot and jaw wouldn't have hurt so bad if it wasn't for the tearing skin against the necklace's barbs. "oh, that's not nice..." he spit out a mouthful of blood "ya know, if you needed a jewelry model, all you had to do was ask- I mean, personally, I think it's a little bit violent and hazardous for day-to-day wear, but- AHH!" the blade flicked across his cheekbone and burned like acid against him._

_ "Shut your mouth- we know you know."_

_ What?_

_ "Ya lost me." he grit his teeth against the pain._

_ "Oh, such an innocent little bitch, aren't you?" a voice scoffed humorlessly behind him, suddenly yanking his hair at the root and pulling his head back at an angle that drove the barbs in from all sides. "You invade us. You cause storms. You've killed people." he growled, putrid breath wafting to Gabriel's nose_

_ He didn't understand. What storms?: HE WAS DEAD AT THE TIME! _

_ "Sorry boys, I was out of commission for your storms. Not my fault-" his face smashed down into the packed, blood caked earth and a strong strong crushed him into it with the hand in his hair. He struggled for air as the blood of his brothers and sisters painted his cheeks and forehead, the smell clogging his nose and mouth. Tears welled desperately in his eyes._

_ They killed them._

_ These ungrateful insects killed his family. He died fighting for their planet, in their name. And they were dealing out twisted justice with a vengeance that made his ignite with anger. How many had already been captured or killed?! Rage clouded his entire being, and he bit his tongue in concentration, begging for a miracle. _

_ There was a bright light and the crack of lightning and ozone as Gabriel channeled all his grace into melting the hands away from him. He smirked, but his vision swam as he came back to himself. He managed to stagger out into the night air, only to feel a crippling sensation of weakness. He couldn't even retract his six golden wings before the woods started to spin and the ground raced up to meet him._

"GABE!? Gabriel, baby please-"

"I was in a forest!" his chest was heaving and he was somehow on the ground. Sam was all around him, and the archangel abandoned any and all shame when he shoved his hands up the thin t shirt Sam wore, desperate to feel the heartbeat against skin and muscle. "They- they had me in... a forest. Somewhere. Missouri, or Montana or... an 'M' state... I- Sammy..." he whimpered. Frustrated and terrified tears made his eyes liquid honey as he tried to get impossibly closer to Sam. He kissed the crown of his head and pulled him into his lap.

"Okay, okay... shhh Baby, it's okay. You're safe." he squeezed him tight."You did so good, Gabriel. That's enough for now. We both need a break-"

"No! _Please_! They killed so many of them, and I _need _to get them back,_ Sam! Please_!" he was hysterical. Sam shushed him quietly.

"No, no, Gabe. I'm so sorry, they won't come back. You know it even better than I do..."

"There has to be something! Tell me everything, Sam. Please!"

He looked at him so pleadingly, it broke Sam's heart. _They raped you, they hurt you and violated you when you were already hurt so much.._..

"There's nothing else. That's all we know..." the lies stuck in his throat and Gabe didn't completely believe him and he knew it. But, he just couldn't. Especially not now. Gabriel was beside himself and Sam didn't know how to help him.

He knew it was impossibly wishful thinking, but maybe time would take care of it, and Gabe would never have to remember it. Feeling the soft hands over his heart, Sam drew his fingers up under the archangel's chin until he was looking up at him. He pressed a genlt kiss to his lips and tried to shove away the guilt.


	2. Chapter 2

** This one's short, but I didn't know how to continue it without making a new chapter- it was the only good stopping point and I couldn't think of a better one. **

** I own nothing!**

** Please don't be mad at me for this!**

_"__People'll pay through the nose for a night with you…._

_ …. Worthless whore: you're just lucky I haven't killed you yet…"_

_ Blazing hot, stretching pain tore at Gabriel's insides. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't… he heard himself screaming himself hoarse, begging and begging…._

_ "No one can hear you, Birdie…"_

Gabriel startled awake, feeling soiled and filmed over with sweat and cigar smoke. It made him want to crawl out of his skin, scratch and scrub at his grace until there was nothing left: was that what he wanted? For nothing to be left- did he even want to exist anymore? His heart pounded and his hands shook as he itched absently at his wrists.

It was still the middle of the night.

"Gabriel?" it was always in the middle of the night "What was it about this time?" they couldn't make it through a single night without the dreams. His mouth felt dry and spongy, his tongue filling every crevice with heavy blurriness. His throat was hoarse like he'd been screaming all night.

In a way, he had been.

"I- I don't…" he felt shaky and unstable. _I don't know_. He felt an intense urge at a new train of thought: he was so filthy. Why was he so dirty? He followed the idea and leaned forward, tackling Sam's lips with his own and straddling the Hunter's hips, suddenly completely desperate to feel anything but the grime that his grace wore as a second skin. He ran his hands over Sam's chest and sighed at the thudding pulse under his hands. There had to be a way to stop feeling so awful, and maybe Sam was the answer. He loved him; right? They loved each other.

_He says it, but you don't actually believe him, do you? You've really sunken that low? Pathetic. You know this won't help, he doesn't care about you. Sam could do so much better, his own species, in his league. You're just another purebred bitch to take and dispose of. He's too polite to send you away. He's too sweet…. You know it's true_.

"Gabe- Gabriel, hold on. Hold on a sec-" Sam pulled him off of where his lips sucked at his collarbone and looked down at him. He didn't even know he was crying until a big hand swiped gently under his eyes. Suddenly embarrassed, Gabriel swung away from Sam and turned his back on the hunter, wiping at his eyes.

"I- I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I-"

"Baby, no. I'm sorry- you aren't ready for this, it's not your fault…" the warmth of a palm on his back made the archangel jump and his breath hitch as he finally let out a sob. Sam knew. Sam knew it; he knew something about what was keeping him up and he-

"But why aren't I ready? Sam, I know you know." He turned around, looking into Sam's own hazel eyes that were full of their own tears. "What is it? Sam, I'm scared. I'm really, really scared. I don't know what's happening, and-"

"I'm so sorry…." It was a whisper. The most regretful whisper on the face of the planet and Gabriel just couldn't fathom why it made him so angry. "I'm sorry, Baby."

"Sorry for what?" he bit out through the tears that just wouldn't stop. He didn't care: maybe when they finally stopped, he'd be clean.

"I- I didn't tell you everything. I didn't know what you'd do, or how you'd react and I was… I was just trying to keep you safe."

"Sorry for _what_?"

"We found you strapped to a mattress in an old farmhouse. You were naked, unconscious, and beaten. There were bruises all over your thighs and- and blood-"

_He woke up with a dazed feeling of confusion and blind fear. _

_ He was alone in the dingy little bedroom, and his skin crawled with the burning between his legs. He tried so hard to let himself drift -find a headspace to disappear into where he wouldn't have to think about Carl Grayson- but he'd lost track of how many days he'd been used in the farmhouse. It didn't get better. It made him feel more and more weak, helpless, filthy. He deserved this; he had to. He was stupid to think he could escape or even survive this. _

_ "Good morning, Birdie" he didn't even flinch; Carl was always somewhere nearby. He kneeled by Gabriel's side, casually resting a grimy hand over his knee. He tried not to squirm away, the scent of blood and holy oil thickening the air. _

_ "Sto-op."_

"Stop."

_"You know what happens when you speak- do really want to push this?" _

"Gabriel, there was so much blood- I thought I lost you again-"

_His rough skin trailed up against his leg as he stroked upward, like Gabriel was some kind of pet: maybe he was. He didn't know anymore._

_ "P-pleee-ase..." the grip tightened over his upper thigh until he knew there would be fresh bruises. _

"P-Pleaase... I'm sorry,-"

_"Please what, Bitch? What do you want?" he was suddenly very close to him, breath puffing into his face, cigar smoke._

"Babe, I'm so sorry. I just wanted to-" a hand reached out to him, to cup his cheek and get him to focus.

_A hand reached out and gripped his chin until he was biting the insides of his cheeks. _

He couldn't breathe- _he couldn't breathe_

"PLEASE STO-OOPPP!"

He ducked away from the big hand, crouched on the floor by the bed with his hands trembling.

"A-are you ashamed of m-me...?" it took forever to get the stuttered words out, staring at the ground, blurred with hot tears. Why else would he hide it?

"What? Gabriel-"

"you can tell me... I- I'd u-un-derstand..." he would. There was nothing in the world that he would understand more.

"Gabe, no!-"

"Don't. Lie." he couldn't remember the last time he was this angry. How could he just hide that? "I might be an invalid, but I'm also an archangel as old as fucking time- and you can't just lie to me!" the long silence was broken only by the hoarse sobbing and Gabe drew his knees up to his chin, hiding hopelessly in his mind: doing anything he could to get Carl Grayson out of his damn head. He felt so sullied and dirty- worthless and violated like he never had before. He needed... he needed to scrub this film of him...

He cried all the harder: Sam was ashamed of him. Sam didn't want him. Sam was everything, and now he was nothing. How- how could he stay?

"Why did you even save me?" he whispered. Sam sat up in bed- completely dumbfounded and just watching as his archangel fell apart.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey y'all. Are you ready to hate me? It's okay, I promise. It get's better after this particular chapter. **

** Warning: suicide**

** I own nothing.**

** Enjoy! MUHAHAHAHAHA **

Gabriel didn't so much as look at Sam the next morning. Not when they were in the car either. Cas had heard the yelling the night before, but him and Dean could feel nothing but the palpable tension in the car as they drove through the day. It was dusk by the time they reached 246 Crescent Lake Road in almost complete silence, and everyone seemed to heave a collective sigh of relief as they gulped in the fresh air at their destination. They headed out towards the barn, which loomed in exactly the same way as it had the day they found Gabriel.

Sam tried to keep the archangel as far from the barn as possible, but Gabriel managed to become a living bulldozer every time the lanky hunter tried to block his path. Castiel wasn't sure what happened to them, but he'd never seen either of them in such disarray.

Sam had a shadow of stubble and his shirt was buttoned a little crooked. Gabriel was shaking, and jumpy and both of them had puffy, bloodshot eyes and the area around them was still slightly raw. Dean and Cas shared another quick glance as they made their own way up to the huge, rotting space.

Cas had never felt this way about anything. This level of bitterness and disgust was was somewhere between the need to vomit and the need to burn the entirety of 246 Crescent Lake to Hell and back. The emotion was startling and liberating- almost reminding him of when he first realized his feelings for Dean- but this one spread through his bloodstream like poison. Not the euphoria of love.

"I hate this place." he didn't mean to say it out loud. He didn't even realize he had until he felt the brief squeeze of Dean's hand around his. It didn't stay, and Cas immediately felt the loss of the familiar warmth and weight of the big hand on his fingers.

"I do too." Dean cocked his gun, whispering the words only loud enough for Castiel to hear. They pushed their way past the nasty old door, and into the huge barn.

"What exactly are we doin' here, Deano?" Gabe called nonchalantly across the room from where he had his back turned, stiffly studying some sigils carved into the wood. Sam stood resolutely at his side, far enough away that there was a good couple feet between the two of them, but close enough that he could reach the archangel in a flash if he had an episode.

"What'd you and Bobby dig up, Cas?"

"We believe there is an abandoned bunker- most likely a bomb shelter of the Cold War- underground in the woods nearby. While we did clear out all evidence from the actual farmhouse, the evidence in the barn was impossible to reach."

They followed the angel as he gingerly walked across the wing-patterned floorboards, Gabriel looking more and more tense the further in they got. In the back of the barn there were two immensely rundown stalls. The one closest to them held a nasty array of chains and discarded feathers. A stash of stolen angel blades and a bed of bloodstained hay scattered across the ground. The one at the far back, however, had a padlock- it was open and gaping on the floor with a tangle of chains in front of the half open door. Inside, there was a massive safe with four combination locks and every inch covered in angel banishing symbols.

"I couldn't open it with my grace, but now we think we know the combinations." Cas took a scrap of paper from the pocket of his trenchcoat, and cautiously stepped over the pile of mangled chains. The wood creaked as he passed by. Cas squatted in front of the safe, and none of them could hear anything but paper crinkling and numbers clicking by.

The lock slid open with a nasty bang, making the angel jump a little bit. Cas lost his balance and Dean caught him just in time to grab onto his shoulders and hold him up. The hands didn't leave this time, and Cas smiled inwardly at the deliberate show of affection as Dean kneeled down behind him, peering into the safe over his shoulder.

"Cas?"

"I'm fine, Dean." it was always the unspoken question. The safe creaked on its hinges.

There were more and more files. Spreadsheets, blueprints, receipts, and a notebook full of yellowing pages. And a topography map of the scrounging forests.

"Cas, I think we found it..."

"It looks as if the bunker is built into a hill by the river on the west side-"

"GABRIEL!"

Their heads swung around so fast that Castiel could hear Dean's neck cracking.

Gabriel was on the floor, limp and convulsing, with grace burning behind his eyes. Sam was kneeling at his side, holding his head in his lap and desperately searching for anything to help him. All he could do was call his name.

"Please, Please wake up- Gabe! GABRIEL- WHAT"S GOING ON!?" his panicked eyes turned to them, a sheen of sweat already lining his hairline. Cas was up in a flash- he couldn't explain it all to Sam now, he didn't have time. Gabriel must've been in at least stage four of the process by now.

Laying his hands over his brother's forehead and stomach, Cas focused all his grace into the archangel, reaching out to piece him back together.

"What is HAPPENING? CAS!" Sam shouted despairingly. The light of grace was slowly fading from under Gabriel's eyelids, and Cas took his hand from his forehead, but left the one on his abdomen. The younger angel had to pause and catch his breath, staring at his unconscious brother.

How could Gabriel do such a thing? He always so strong-especially back in Heaven-, even when he shouldn't be, he always had something to say or do that made the situation seem better. What brought him so far down?

It had been more than a long time since his brother- his caregiver- left heir home. But he had Sam. He had love. Cas fought down the feeling of bitter betrayal burning its way up his throat- now wasn't the time. Gabriel was severely emotionally compromised and-

"C-Cas... Is he...?" Sam was staring down at the archangel like he was a lost dream, cracked in two by reality. Tears swam in his eyes and he looked like someone had just ripped out his heart and stomped on it.

"No. He isn't dead." he heard himself say the words, but couldn't seem to feel anything. Gabriel... Gabriel attempted-

"What the Hell just happened?" A thoroughly rattled Dean crouched down at Cas's side. Cas shook his head, choking on his newly found emotions and clutching at his unconscious brother like he could never go away.

"He- he attempted grace combustion..." he whispered. If he said it any louder it would become real.

"Wh-What does that mean?" Sam asked tentatively, like he didn't want to know the answer. He took a big hand and shakily stroked away the wild golden hair from the closed eyes.

"It's... it's the only form of angelic suicide." he felt his heart shatter as the young hunter made a sound like he had been shot, and Dean fisted his hand in the fabric of Cas's trenchcoat. "the- the grace incinerates itself... it can take hours, it's incredibly painful, and- and creates physical symptoms like that of a human taking cyanide..."

There was a moment of complete silence. Sam bent himself over Gabriel's body, digging his fingers into his shirt and clenching his fists in the fabric. Dean clutched Cas's arm and pulled him a couple feet away, making him turn his back on the scene.

"They're gonna be doing rounds through here in less than an hour. I'm so sorry to have to ask you this now, but could you fly them back to Bobby's? I'll take the impala and meet you guys..." he kissed him firmly on the forehead and cupped his cheek briefly "I'm so sorry, Cas. We have the map, we'll come back in a couple days and check out the bunker." It was like the words didn't fully enter his brain. "Cas?"

"Y-Yeah. Yes, I'll do that." he pushed his tears away and turned, coat flapping, and pressed his hand over Sam's where he gripped onto Gabriel.

They were gone in a flutter of wings.


	4. Chapter 4

**The worst is over, my comrades. :) It's not perfect, but I hope you like it… **

** I own nothing**

** Enjoy!**

Sam ran a big hand over the stubble on his cheeks. Gabriel was still in the shower, his hitching breaths and stifled crying barely audible over the running water. He must've been heating it with his grace now, because steam was still overflowing through the cracks in the door.

Gabriel tried to kill himself. The pit in his stomach seemed to get punched a little deeper when the thought came to mind. Every time he closed his eyes he could see the angel crumbling to the ground, surrounded by the charred wing prints of his family and bloodstained floorboards. He had thought Sam was ashamed of him. At least, he had last time they talked- argued- and the hunter felt the tears burning in his eyes again. Gabriel thought that he didn't love him. Sam pushed away any resentment he felt, focusing just on just getting through the day with Gabriel still alive and by his side.

Taking a deep breath, and moving to stand from where he was crouched- listening for any commotion behind the door- and knocked lightly.

"What?" Gabe was trying to kill him with just his tone, and Sam winced like he had spit daggers through the wood. The hunter rested his forehead against the door. He was just too tired to hold it up anymore.

"Please talk to me, Gabriel…" he was begging. He deserved to beg for lying to his angel like he did. "I'm so sorry, Baby. I was trying to help and I just fucked it all up, I-"

"Stop." He sighed and it sounded more like a sob. "please, just… stop. Sam, I just… I can't believe you're still here…"

"What? What do you-"

"Why the Hell are you still with me? Why bother with an invalid archangel when you could've just avoided this all in the first place!" he took a shuddering breath, probably realizing he had been yelling "this is the biggest fight since the apocalypse, and you chose to help me. Me: a damaged reject of God with no purpose to serve and no- no anything! Why be with such a disgusting, shameful piece of shit when you could have gotten on with your life- Sam…. I just don't.. I don't understand…"

Sam sighed, trying the doorknob with a hesitant hand.

Gabriel stood in the small room, naked except for a pair of Sam's sweatpants, with a nasty array of red and pink burns and scrapes- he must've scrubbed himself raw- covered his still shaking body as he leaned against the counter and stared at his reflection.

"Gabriel?" He moved closer, but left a solid foot between them- no matter how much he was burning to hold him. Gabe needed that space to back up if he felt trapped.

His archangel would never feel unwanted with him ever again.

"Gabriel, please come here." he asked calmly, holding out a hand.

"No." he stared at the mirror.

"Gabe" he shuffled forward, itching to pull him close- especially after the two weeks that he was a living furnace for his freezing angel- and barely restraining himself. "I need you, please... Let me..." he reached out a little more, and tried to smile encouragingly. Gabriel met his eyes scathingly in the mirror- his glare could've leveled cities if it wasn't counteracted with the veil of distraught tears.

Sam was sick of tears.

"Hi." he said, all other plans of what he was going to say flying out the window. Gabe raised an eyebrow and tried to roll his eyes.

"Hi." he still sounded bitter and angry, but more resigned that anything else. At least he was making eye contact now.

"Please, come to me?" Gabriel finally complied with an eye roll and an almost- masked flinch when they made skin to skin contact. "I will never hurt you." he pulled Gabriel closer, until they were chest to chest and the archangel adjusted to the proximity. It was just Sam. He was safe.

"Listen to me very closely." the hunter said gently after a long moment, tilting up the archangel's head to look him in the eye. "Are you listening?"

Gabriel mumbled a little.

"What was that?" Sam felt the smile curve his mouth before he knew he said the words.

"Y-Yeah..."

"Are you sure?"

"Your luck is so pushed, Winchester..."

"I love you." the exasperated half-smirk became a glare, and Sam just looked back completely honestly. "Look me in the eye and tell me I'm lying. Look in my soul with your grace and tell me what you see, Gabe..." he paused, staring at the archangel like if he looked long and hard enough, he could make everything all better. Gabe tried to look away from him again, and Sam took the silence as his answer. "Exactly. I love you and now you know. Okay? I love you more than life itself, and-" he hated that he still had to remind Gabe of this. That the archangel couldn't couldn't look at him and_ just_ _tell _that he was Sam's moon and sky. And Sam hated the way the thoughts made his throat tighten around the words like he was suffocating on the lump in his throat. "I need you here. I would've ended up in this fight whether you were here or not, and the fact that you are? _God_, Gabe... it's the best gift I could ever receive- no matter how broken you think you are..." Gently and slowly- so Gabriel knew and understood what was happening- Sam drew him closer, flush against his body until the archangel tentatively responded with his arms shakily around Sam's waist. After a long tense moment, Gabriel relaxed and buried his face into Sam, who kissed the top of his head feather light as he began to cry.

Sam gently rocked him back and forth as the archangel sank further into him, stroking his hand over the nubs of his spine where his wings should be. Gabriel rested his ear over the steady heartbeat, counting time on the beats. "Gabe?Do you get it now?" he whispered softly "I am not ashamed of you- I was trying to protect you from the truth, and I should know by now that that's just impossible." Gabe sniffled against his skin and pulled away just enough to look up at him. "Forgive me?"

A slight shadow of a smirk quirked his lips.

"Consider it forgiven, Sammy." he went up on his tippy toes, pecking Sam's cheek "but if you ever hide... anything like that again I will smite you so fast..." he chuckled a little.

"As long as you stay with me, okay? I need you... I need you here and alive. Deal?"

"Deal." with timidness and a little bit of fear in his golden eyes, he rested his hand on the nape of Sam's neck. Sam stroked his thumbs over the dimple in the archangel's back, encouraging him, but not demanding anything. Gabriel's eyes brightened with determination and tugged at Sam's neck, going up on his toes again and crushing their lips together. The tall hunter went with Gabriel's pull, letting his angel control the pace as he got steadily more confident with the contact. After a long moment they pulled away to breathe, and Gabe gasped the oxygen in, digging his fingers into Sam's hair.

"All the time I was... I was th-there, he never ki-kissed me... not once..." he whimpered in Sam's arms.

"Baby-"

"I'm glad." he pressed his ear back over the waiting heartbeat. "at least it's one thing he didn't ruin..."

Sam sighed as he pressed his nose into his angel's golden hair, kissing the top of his head.

"One day you're gonna realize just how perfect you are, Gabriel... I promise..."

He probably didn't even hear him.

It had been two days since Gabriel's figurative swan dive, and Dean and Cas hadn't seen the archangel a single time. They zapped themselves back into the kitchen at Bobby's.

"SAM!" Dean yelled up the staircase."Get you ass down here, we got news on that bunker-thing!" He heard the pounding of feet on the floor above and Sam bounded around the corner and into view at the top of the stairs.

"So do I." He looked exhausted, but happier than Dean had seen him since his archangel was saved. "Gabe's starting to talk about what he remembers."


	5. Chapter 5

** Hello! I'm so sorry for this lateness! I've been terribly busy, but this is my last chapter before the real action starts. AH! Let me know what you think!**

** Is it too late to change Harkness's name? People seem kinda turned off by it, and if ya REALLY are too distracted by it to enjoy the story, I'll go back through this and Cold and Broken to change it. Let me know what you think about that, and give name ideas if you want. **

** I own nothing.**

** Enjoy!**

_I was really dazed... My grace was still revamping itself after the whole dying thing, so I guess I wasn't quite 'all there' yet. All I knew was that I was somewhere in a forest in the U.S, and I was somehow just... back. Call it luck, destiny, or curse, but I was resurrected. _

_ And then it all went to Hell._

_ They came up behind me and restrained my wings- which weren't strong enough to be shrouded with grace yet- with some barbed chain that dug in like teeth, and swept my legs out from underneath me. They were so strong that, at first, I didn't even think they were human. There must've been 5 or 6 of them, all big, burly guys and I could smell the gunpowder and blood on them. I didn't even consider the possibility of them being hunters- I'd been chased by those types all too often in my trickster days- they were just too... savage. _

_ My grace wasn't powerful enough, and- while I could still push them off pretty well- I didn't really stand a chance. They collared and bound me up. It... it was so terrifying, and they squeezed that damn collar so tight. Blood got everywhere when the barbs dug in, but the really scary part wasn't that the blood- it was the feeling. _

_ My legs got more shaky, I was light headed and stars popped in front of my eyes. The pain bloomed through every part of my body, and it just hurt so badly... I- I felt so... so human. _

_ The collars don't just restrain you from using your grace; they bind it to the vessel and make pain stronger and healing very, very slow going. _

_ My heart was racing, I flailed and fought- took out a couple with my wings- but still ended up in this dirty old root cellar or something. They beat me and th-there was... blood all over the ground, soaking into the dirt. It was angel, but it was NOT mine,and I- I don't know... I blacked out, I guess._

_ T-The next thing I remember is being in some sort of old van or car. I couldn't see anything- I was blindfolded and gagged and there were chains all over me, I could just feel them- as they yanked me out and into a crowded, loud place. I couldn't see, but I could feel the other restrained graces around me... _

_ There were thousands._

_ Everything hurt everywhere and the smell of holy oil and death were thick. _

_ I was moved through a line and manhandled a little, before I was pushed down this long hallway. The sounds from the rooms were loud and I could still hear the fizzing electricity and clanging metal and- and the screaming carrying down from the floors above. There was the sound of creaking metal right next to my ear and I jumped back a little but-_

_ The volts seared into my skin and I felt like I was being cooked alive or something. The shock itself only lasted a second, but the chattering in my teeth seemed to echo as I felt a rough shove on my back and I could see again._

_ Well, I would've been able to see, but there was absolutely no source of light in the new, tiny metal room as they ripped the blindfold off and slammed the rusted door closed. The shadows began to develop against the darkness, and the wings were the first things I really noticed._

_ Angels were packed in like sardines, all with wings manifested and naked as the day their vessels were born. Some wings were bent at awkward angles, or pulled tight to their bodies like they could protect themselves from the vicious cold and pain. _

_ Some didn't even look alive._

_ Most of them I didn't recognize- it's been a long time since Heaven was home, and graces were still blurry and.. whatever. I'm just making excuses for myself. The important thing is that everyone seemed to be there. Men, women, and children._

_ And they were all dying. _

Gabriel managed to get through the story of Inias and the holy fire- Dean gripped Castiel's hand as firmly as he could at the young angel's name-before it was enough. The archangel had been slowly falling apart as he told them everything, but he finally broke down, his voice breaking like a dam in a flood as he whimpered for Sammy- who was never farther than a few feet from the angel's side.

"Okay... shush, Baby.. it's okay.." Sam wrapped him up close, propping his chin up on Gabriel's head as the archangel laid his ear over Sam's heartbeat.

If it kept the dude calm, Dean was in no place to judge him.

"Yeah. I guess we could say we have good news, but it depends on your view of 'good'..." Dean started, feeling his usual discomfort at the intimate moment between his baby brother and their resident archangel. It wasn't that he wasn't happy for the two- he was completely ecstatic; Sam needed someone, they made each other happy, and it never hurt to have an extra angel on your side- but he hated the feeling that he was intruding on them.

"Nothing about anything is 'good' in this situation" Cas stated hollowly, staring intently down at their linked hands before looking up somberly at the other two. "but we believe that, in the long run, this information could benefit us." Dean felt the ghost of a sad smile quirk his lips and he shifted a little closer to his own angel. Discretely.

"Well, we made it to the bunker in one piece..."

_We had taken a short cut straight through the woods- cutting through reeds and shit and even passing by an old campsite (it was long since abandoned)- to this clearing out by the river. The bunker was set deep into a hill._

_ It was nothing but tin and dirt hidden in the ground and barely peeking out through the weeds._

"Sammy, there had to've been at least two times the files there as there were in that farmhouse..."

_The first room- that's right: first of multiple. Some folks had been doing some renovations, apparently and they were verging on the clinically insane- was damn near completely empty. Except for a chain link little cell sectioned off in the corner, there was nothing but dirt and a battery lantern. Strange hooks were shoved into the ceiling. There couldn't possibly be a good reason for that- especially when they were rusted over with blood and slight, downy feathers. _

_ Walking back further, there were four rooms total carved into the ground under the hill. The back three were full of nothing but files, filing cabinets, and boxes of more files. There were photographs, too. Angels were naked and chained- wings spread behind them on painfully familiar hooks- stared back from the pictures with bruises and dull humiliation in their eyes. Cas looked shaky and pale; kinda like he would throw up. _

_ "Cas?" I asked as gently as I could, slowly approaching him "Cas, if you wanna go back up, you c-"_

_ Read one of them."_

_ "W-What?"_

_ He slapped a numbered file down on the dirt floor._

_ "Read one of the files, Dean." he sounded sick, scared, and gravelly as someone that swallowed nails. Like there wasn't a single thing in the world to make him more silently, violently angry. _

_ He growled almost like a full blown animal, his shaking limbs turning to full body vibration and his entire being seemed to tense up. With a wild snarl, one of the file cabinets dented with a bang. Cas kicked it over and over again like it was the only thing responsible for every terrible thing in the past __lifetime of earth. _

_ "Cas. CAS!" I cried out, knowing that even though he could heal himself, he wasn't immune to pain. "Come 'ere, Feathers, calm down..." I figured there was no harm in the pet name. He liked it, and it seemed to calm him down. _

_ Only for a second. _

_ "W-WHERE'S MY FATHER!" he suddenly screamed out at the sky like the dirt would open and give him his answers. It physically hurt as my heart clenched, watching my calm and put together angel break down into sobs, and I shushed him gently and wrapped my arms around him. Just like it could keep us both somewhat collected and calm. " He- his ch-children are dying... he t-told us... told us to love humans, but- but why!? For what purpose, if all we get i-in return is SLAVERY a-and MED-ICAL EXPERIEMENTS a-and..." he dissolved into tears. _

_ How are you supposed to respond to that? I've never been good at these emotional heart-to-hearts' -that was more Sammy's department- and I just held him close to me, trying to mimic how Sam held Gabriel after an episode. _

_ Rocking slowly back and forth with my arms full of angel, I took a deep breath... Why would you love humans? Sounds like a pretty stupid thing to love... they're selfish and hypocritical and greedy._

_ Greedy. _

_ "What did you mean by 'selling' you, Cas?" I said it as quietly and carefully as possible, kissing the top of his hair for good measure._

_ "T-This bunker, this... this farm and house a-are for t-trafficking..."_

"An angel trafficking ring?"

Dean noddedgravely at his brother.

"But, we think we know how to stop 'em. And the great thing about this is: Grayson was the leader of the actual trafficking, answering only to our boy, Harkness. Grayson's dead, and no one's fully stepped up to take his place in the ring, and with Crazy Doctor as the only link between the two..."

"Take down the doctor, take down everything." Sam murmured like he was just grasping the idea.

There was a moment of complete silence as everyone processed the fact that this could actually end. They could stop the genocide and slavery and death, even after a month of hard fighting to no avail. Sam chewed the inside of his cheek. He opened his mouth, brow furrowed-

"When do we start?" Everyone looked over at Gabriel. "What?" he scoffed, smirking lightly and maybe a little bit tiredly.

"Tonight."


	6. Chapter 6

**New chapter! Thanks for stickin' with me, I'm sorry it's taken so long. The feedback is so nice, and you make my day whenever you review. **

** Next chapter of You'll never walk Alone will be up as soon as possible! **

** Enjoy!**

** I own nothing. **

The forest buzzed with nocturnal life in the brush where the four men crouched down low. The Winchesters both clutched their guns in sweaty hands- usually they would have no qualms with ganking the beast of the week, but these were humans; and no ordinary beasts either- and the angels kept keen eyes and ears on every direction for movement or life near the bunker.

Gabriel was trembling just enough for Sam to be able to feel it beside him, and wordlessly pressed their shoulders together a little tighter. He felt his heart clench painfully when the archangel relaxed against his body heat. Nerves were jumping up and down Sam's spine and he tried not to think of the worst case scenarios here. He was just so ashamed... he didn't feel like he could trust Gabriel on this one.

_"You're brooding again. Aren't you supposed to be the one who reminds me not to bottle things up?" Dean sat down heavily at the kitchen table across from his baby brother in their latest motel. He poured himself a whiskey and fixed Sam with a stern look. He was about as nonchalant as a freight train. _

_ "I just..." he sighed. It felt like a betrayal, and guilt weighed in his chest like lead. "I don't want Gabe going out on this- this mission... I don't think it's safe, he's not... he's not healthy: he's unstable and scared and-" _

_ "you think he's gonna try pullin' another swan dive?" Dean finished, looking at Sam with blank but concerned eyes. Sam swallowed down bile at just how easily his brother could say something like that._

_ He could picture Gabriel, writhing and glowing rays of violent golden light on the floor of that rotting barn. He gulped through his tight throat in a way that he really hoped wasn't audible to Dean, and nodded jerkily. He couldn't look up, not when Dean would have that look on his face- the concern that he used to show for his baby brother when they were snot nosed kids, and Sam scraped his knee- big green eyes full of concern and sympathy and anger. Anger that he couldn't stop Sam from hurting- Sam knew how much baggage his brother carried from the people he felt he failed, and he hated knowing he was on that list in Dean's mind. _

_ "God, it's just so selfish." Dean hissed, and Sam heard the whiskey glass clank back on the table. He glanced quickly over at the bed where Gabe was sleeping, with Cas sitting by his side before he turned his eyes back to the whiskey. _

_ "Stop it..." _

_ 'Stop what? The guy knew how much it'd kill you to lose him, and he goes and tries to off himself?- that's not cool!" _

_ "Stop it!" He whispered harshly. He was so sick of it. Gabriel genuinely felt unwanted- maybe even hated, or ridiculed- by everyone around him. It wasn't selfish to him, because Sam's hiding and secrets made him feel like he had no other choice. Like he couldn't blend in anywhere, and could never be loved. He still didn't believe Sam loved him, and it was a slow, crawling process back to health, but Sam didn't blame him one bit for his Grace Combustion. And Dean wasn't making him feel any better about the current situation. _

_ Dean seemed to sense this, and heaved a sigh. The tension filtered mostly out of the room with the tension in Dean's muscles, and for a moment there was nothing but the gentle whir of air conditioning and Gabriel's soft, sleep-evened breathing._

_ "S-stop it.. don't look at me like that..." _

_ "You're not even looking back at me, Sammy. I'm just tryin' to talk to ya." _

_ This was 'Dean language' for; I know something's wrong. Tell me so I can help. _

_ Sam looked up at his brother with big, sad hazel eyes. _

_ "It's not that I don't think that that he's capable, it's just... it's just, I don't wanna-" How do you phrase this without sounding like a complete girl and making Dean laugh at him? He was just gonna sound like an idiot. "I can't lose him again." The tears made him blush, but he just got more embarrassed with the prickling heat in his cheeks. He looked back over at the two angels. Cas was ignoring them as much as he could in the small room, and peacefully held a hand over Gabriel's forehead- keeping him calm enough for actual, restful sleep. He hadn't gotten that in weeks, and it made Sam smile a little. _

_ "i don't want him going either. But we can't leave him here alone. I don't know what else to do." Dean grumbled, but his eyes were still their soft, sympathetic green and Sam knew that this was one of those rare moments: a chick flick moment was okay, as long as it helped him cope._

The leaves crinkled and crunched under his feet as he and his team made their way forward in the dark. They got a tip from one of their undercover units that their position was found out. And- if his hunch was right on how they sided- it could get even worse.

The Winchester brothers.

He'd heard stories about what the two- and their late father- were capable of, and nothing could be worse for them. The small battalion of men moved fluidly between the trees towards the bunker they'd been canvasing.

There were four of them.

Four men , able bodied and well built, knelt with their backs to them in the bushes by the opening of the hill. In less than a second, one of them was whipping his head around like he'd been making enough noise for a herd of elephants.

"FREEZE!"

Dean blood chilled as he tightened his grip around his gun. Gabriel gave a quiet whimper, and Sam froze with a gun in one hand and the archangel's hand in the other. Cas was tense and wide eyed, having just seen the troop of men approaching just before they barked at them.

"FREEZE! I'll shoot!"The leader cried in warning as Sam and Dean both started to turn.

"Take it easy, Kid. I'm just turnin' to look at you. I'm no hurtin' any-"

"DROP YOUR WEAPONS!" So much for shooting their way out. Not that that would work anyway, with 10- at least- against four. "I saw a gun- DROP IT!" the leader barked, his own gun raised and ready. Dean looked at Sam , and both of them dropped their weapons at the foot of the enemy.

This leader guy was not a 'kid'. He was graying and wiry and scruffy. His cunning and sharp little eyes darted back and forth over the brothers from behind big glasses- circa 1982.

"Hainds in the air- churn slowly." The apparent second in command warned darkly through the rough southern accent. Cas and Gabe followed the order- Gabriel needing a bit of encouragement from Sam to come out of his catatonic state of sheer terror. From there the leader took over.

"hands behind your head-d..." he choked off with an awestruck gasp, gaping like a fish. Dean felt his eyebrow quirk and Sam cocked his head a little in Dean's periphery.

They were all staring at Gabriel.

The archangel was more than a little uncomfortable with the attention- a sentence Dean never thought he'd need to construct- and slid just the slightest bit closer to Sam, shaking like a leaf and breathing fast and shallow. His trembling hand slowly came down, circling Sam's bicep and squeezing til Dean could see the imprints from his blunt little nails. The guns were cocked and ready the moment his arms started to move, but it only seemed to confuse -and occasionally disgust- the men as Gabe displayed an open need for protection from the tall hunter.

"5... 56028?" The leader whispered disbelievingly and stared at Gabriel for one of the longest seconds of Dean's entire life. After a tense moment, the leader took a cautious step forward, holstering his weapon as he approached Gabe like a skittish animal. Fitting- since the archangel was a deer in headlights.

"56028?"" said with more confidence now, creeping closer to the archangel, making Sam tenser with every step. Gabe didn't even bother trying to conceal how he melted into Sam's side, huddling close, but never looking away from this approaching man. "Are you specimen 56028?" The man asked, slow and calm as he kneeled in front of Gabriel, and Dean could see the tears in his terrified eyes. Sam's jaw clenched and every muscle was tensed as he looked at the leader with unveiled disgust.

"He isn't anybody's specimen." he growled like he could kill with nothing but words.

"Which Winchester are you?" the man commanded- suddenly harsh- resting his hand over the butt of his gun.

"Sam"

"How'd you find this angel?Hoping to cash in on that big reward?" contempt seeped into his every syllable and he glanced at Gabriel periodically as he spoke. Sam's confusion must've shown, because the leader of this little Boy Scout troop eyed him with a dark look through his owl eyed spectacles. "This angel's face has been circulating to all in the 'Harkness Fold' for damn near a full month. 300,000. And you're tellin' me you have no clue?" He scoffed.

"Must be a little behind in the times." Dean piped up- Gabriel looked like he was gonna piss himself, and Sam was gonna dive for his gun at any second. "The reward's a bit new. But you aren't in the 'Fold', are you?"

"Are you?"

Dean sneered and his skin crawled at the idea of it, keeping a cool exterior as Cas sat stock still at his side. "Hi. My name's Dean, and this is my boyfriend: Castiel, Angel of the Lord." he threw a shit-eating grin at Cas' 'What the Hell do you Think You're Doing' face. "And this is my baby brother and his boyfriend: GABRIEL" he practically shouted the name. 56028, his ass. "archangel of the Lord."

The looks on the mens' faces were priceless.

"So, who are you?"

"We- We aren't..."

"In the Harkness VIP Club?" he just nodded dumbly, standing up and backing away from Sam and Gabe. "Neither are we."

"I'm Smith. This is the-"he gestured back at the men." "But," cut in the second in command "We cain't discuss it heer. Too mainy eyes n ears." he looked around conspiratorially and shared a look with the leader. He nodded understandingly.

"Don't try anything funny." The leader- Smith- sent four men out to them, who sandwiched them into their troop as they wordlessly let themselves be led into the darkness.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hellooo ladies and gents! I'm so sorry for the wait and such, I've got exams and stuff making my life Hell, and it's hard to set aside time to write for you. :( **

** Please let me know what you think of this chapter, or even the whole story thus far! Talk to me about what you wanna see in the future of this fic, or where you want it to go! I love love love your feedback! **

** I own nothing**

** Enjoy!**

The dilapidated building loomed in the distance, and Sam's heart hammered through his body, calculating escape routes in his head. The posse surrounding them hadn't made a single move to lower their weapons, and it was glaringly obvious that they were trained professionally.

Army? government? militia? Who the hell were these people, and how did they know Gabriel- Gabriel's _number_?

The archangel was gripping his arm with clammy hands, trying his hardest to seem at least a little bit stronger than he was. Gabriel was slowly regaining the power he'd had and his grace was healing fast, but his personality was still almost a complete 180. No matter how desperately he tried to hide his emotions and fears, Gabe's walls had all but shattered around him. There were no quips and pranks, because he was just too _exhausted _to manage them.

It was heartbreaking to watch him try to hide his panic as they shuffled into the dark forest, and Sam squeezed his hand with what was hopefully a reassuring glance.

Dean and Cas were walking just ahead of them, not holding each other like Sam was with Gabe, but close enough to brush hands together as they made their way through the shadows. Dean's shoulders were tense enough to cut diamonds and Cas' hands were fists at his sides.

The building ahead was long abandoned, and looked old as all Hell. Shingles were coming off the roof and dirty white paint chipped away from the ancient stone walls in thick layers. A stout bell tower that probably hadn't been used in decades perched on top of the roof above the heavy wooden door. A cross- crooked and windblown- teetered at the very peak of the spire and Sam couldn't help but wonder where God even was.

"Patrol returning from the enemy bunker" Smith murmured evenly and quietly into a walkie talkie, hidden in the rusted church donation box nailed up next to the door.

"... What is your status?..." Crackled a gruff voice.

"You-" smith stopped, glancing over at Gabriel, and nearly chuckling with disbelief. Sam instantly felt the urge to snarl, glaring outright at the stranger and tightening his grip on his angel. "You're not gonna believe this."  
There was a hazardous sounding buzz and the second in command yanked on the thick front door to the old church.

These guys were ready for war.

The front door was reinforced with steel and a homemade automated lock system. Rooms and weapons storage were built into what used to be a sanctuary with chain link dividers. It was lit by several sterile looking bare bulbs. Windows that were once probably beautiful and covered with murals of stained glass stood boarded and dark. Sam could barely restrain his huff of shock.

"Nice arsenal. What are you guys- minute men?" Deans voice echoed a little down the cavernous space. Smith gave a little huff that Sam assumed was amusement.

"I guess you could call us that." A new voice spoke from behind them. Gabriel jumped a little, but bit his lip against his gasp. Sam wrapped a tight grip around his angels waist as he spun on the spot to look at the newcomer.

He looked so familiar. He was shorter, on the later side of forty, and had deceptively kind eyes for a hunter. He smiled at the Winchesters and their angels as he seemed to recognize them, too. Sam just couldn't seem to pull where he knew this man-

"Welcome to The Resistance. It's a huge relief to see you boys alive." He extended a hand to the closest Winchester- Dean- but only gave a smile and nod to Castiel when the angel refused his hand. Sam took it, shaking firmly. "Especially you." He beamed when he reached Gabriel "the last time I saw you, you were not lookin' good..."

"I-I remember you..." He practically whispered it and burrowed further back in Sam's arms. "You put them on me..." _The collars._ The lanky hunter could barely hear the words, but he felt the archangel shaking and his arms wrapped around Gabriel without a thought. There was something about this guy, though... Sam knew him.

"Yes..." He hung his head a bit, his eyes filling with guilt. "I'm so sorry about it. And of course you don't remember the_ last_ time we met- I'm just glad you're breathin'." Sam was wracking his brain now, searching for how he knew the short, weathered man in front of him. Sharing a glance with Dean, Sam seemed to understand. Just in time for the older guy to turn to him. "You're Sam, right?"

_"I'm on your side, okay kiddo? I won't hurt ya." The new guy was raising his hands- surrendering- but Sam knew better, gripping the gun in his hands, cursing their shakiness. Tears blurred his vision and his heart hammered; what if Gabe was already dead?_

"Y-yeah..." He choked a little, trying to get air back in his lungs "You're- you're that guy. The one that got- that got the collars off..." He never thought he'd see him again.

The man that freed Gabriel's grace.

"That's me. Name's Rick Mendez."

"I never- I mean, I never thanked you; you saved our li-"

"Don't mention it, Kid." He smiled gruffly, looking at him warmly. He took a deep breath and-

"How'd you make it out?" Dean asked abruptly, arms crossed where he stood at Cas' side. Sam saw the flashes of gunfire in his head and heard the vaguely familiar man screaming for them to run.

"It was..." He rubbed a hand over the scruffy beard that Sam didn't remember from the last time "it was rough- gave me a nasty limp an' a bad knee- but we move along. Welcome to the Hunters' Resistance Militia."

"The what?"

"A revolt?" Both Winchesters spouted simultaneously. Sam was more awed than anything, and a warmth wrapped around him as he squeezed Gabriel's waist. These people didn't seem to be a threat. At least- not now. He felt the tense muscles of the archangel's back relax slightly under the pressure, and kissed he crown of his head for good measure. That prompted a meek little smile- with the shadow of a smirk- out of his angel.

"You're fighting Harkness?" Castiel asked with a hesitant air of relief, disbelieving tension still filling his blue eyes and rolling off his shoulders in waves. Dean wrapped a hand around Cas' bicep, a show of reassurance that no one but Sam would notice. His brother had an eyebrow raised skeptically where he leaned against the chain link and held onto his angel boyfriend.

"Yes. Many of us worked for 'im for at least a little while, til we found something we just couldn't justify." His brown eyes turned stormy and Rick pushed his glasses a little further up the knobby bridge of his nose.

"Justified?" Dean broke in "these angels are being tortured, sold and- and killed!? How long did you 'justify' it?" Gabe shook a little bit, regaining tension and turning his head to meet Sam's eyes. His honey eyes glazed with terrorizing memories and misted with angry tears. He was so sick of feeling so weak. Sam knew he felt useless for being so fragile, and Gabriel was just sick of the tears. Of everything, really.

Mendez sighed laboriously, every move laced with guilt "I worked for Harkness for almost two years. He commissioned my engineering skills for a project, but I didn't know what it would be used for." He squared his jaw, meeting Dean's eye roll and snarl head on. "Oh, right- your life's an open book, inn'it kid?"

That shut him up.

"So, what do you guys do here?" Sam cleared the awkward silence as best he could, dying for a subject change. They could discuss their moral compasses later.

Rick smiled proudly at that, and the thick tension began to lift in less than a second, despite Dean's glaring at him.

"We've been listenin' in on Harkness's plans for a few months now, and we think we got 'im in a position to make the pig squeal." Smith broke in, gruff and smug through his beady eyed spectacles. His arms crossed in front of his chest, and his lips quirked with military reserve."That bunker's where they seem to take the angels; where they load em up and switch em out. That house over yonder was one a the biggest hubs in the Midwest."  
He paused

"Hubs for trafficking. They were sellin' them for big bucks-" There was small whimper by Sam's side, and an old beer bottle- not yet moved from a nearby table- suddenly shattered without a touch.

"What in the Hell was that!?" Smith exclaimed at the broken glass.

Sam tried to shush Gabriel as quietly as possible, nuzzling into his golden hair for just a moment as the vibrating waves of electricity started to slow around the distressing angel. Gabe trembled, a little, frustrated grunt rumbling shortly in the back of his throat. Sam wanted nothing more than to tell him it was okay that he still wasn't over what happened to him, but the younger Winchester knew he'd just embarrass him. Sam settled for squeezing Gabe's hip, trying to ignore how Rick's eyes bore into the two of them with understanding.

"I know this is hard-"_ Damn right it's hard_ "But we need to ask you some questions."

"He's not answering anything if he doesn't want to-" Sam already started to pipe up.

"We have questions for all four of you."

Oh.

"What kind of questions?" Dean squinted at them, standing forward, and stepping just barely in front of Cas. Rick raised an eyebrow this time.

"Just some things about what you know about all this."

There was something so subtle and almost sinister about it, that Sam couldn't explain. Just a gut feeling that made him think something bad was going to happen.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey there! Sorry about the wait, but I've finished my exams so you should have a new chapter every couple days! YAY! I hope you like it! This is gonna be a bit longer than Cold and Broken, and if you have any ideas for the story, or have a way that you could see it going, I'd love to hear it! PM and review! **

** I own nothing!**

** Enjoy!**

** PS. This could be quite confusing. At first, Gabriel is alone. Then it's just Dean. Then it's just Cas. Then Dean and Cas. Then Sam and Gabriel. That's the order of characters being questioned. Sorry it's so weird, I didn't know what else to do!**

"How long were you incarcerated?"

"About a month." Gabriel really hoped the smirk held up, and silently thanked his- practically nonexistent- father that his voice didn't shake too badly as he sat down across from the two men.

"Where were you quarantined?"

Sam watched him through the chain link by the door, glancing at the men from time to time, but smiling- weakly, but reassuringly- whenever he caught the archangel's eyes. The tremors in his hands stopped a little just thinking about Sam's warm arms and steady heartbeat. He wanted him back- hating how he sounded like some clingy girlfriend.

"What does that even mean?" He scoffed lightly. Stalling.

"Where in the headquarters were you held in between tests?" This man- Rick- seemed kinder- or at least more patient- but Gabriel wasn't buying any acts._ He _bound him up with his collars.

_The room swam in his stinging eyes, and every inch of his body seemed to burn with a fevered warmth under the bland white lights.  
_

_"Take it easy, now..." A soft voice rang in his ears like an echo. "This is gonna sting-"  
The blinding pain struck him through to his core, and the scream ripped out of his throat. Millions of tiny daggers pierced the flesh between his vessels ribs and over his torso, blood flowing from everywhere he could see. He _couldn't_ breathe. All the lights seemed to go out in his mind as the brutal pain and a sensation of unbearable weakness took over.  
_

_He barely even felt the last collar- the one sealed over his hipbones- and Gabriel slowly drifted. There was no way out... He was going to die here..._

"Where did you find 56028?"

Dean raised an eyebrow.

"Who's that?" He relished the exasperation and irritation on the weathered man's face. "He has a name." Why he was defending the little dick so much, Dean didn't know. But, there was definitely a developing soft spot for the archangel.

"_Gabriel_. Where did you find him?"

"The crazy house by the bunker." He restrained a snarky comment, just barely. The smug, shit-eating grin just couldn't be helped though. And Dean was just fine with that.

"Were there any other surviving angels, say... children?"

"Fledglings." Cas corrected in a bland tone.

"Fl- what?"

"Fledglings are angelic offspring. Infants and children." The unknown hunter shook his head a little- exasperated- which confused Cas; that was not a difficult concept to grasp.

"Well, did you see any _fledglings _at the Grayson barn when you found your friend?"

"Gabriel was the..." It was still hard to even say as he felt the waves of grief washing over him "he was the only one alive..."

The young man dropped his head a little bit, regretful and sad but not knowing what to do. Castiel still appreciated the sentiment though, and let just a sliver of his grace worm it's way across the table. A silent 'thank you'.

"What I wanna know is why were being questioned like criminals or somethin'! I'm Thelma-" Dean gestured to himself "this is Louise-" he gestured to Cas, which made the angel smirk slightly "nice to meet you." he joked, trying to pull these boys off track. They asked a Hell of a lot of questions, and Dean didn't know what for.

"We just want to make positive that our theories are headed right." Drawled the thoroughly unamused second in command, getting more irritated with each passing moment. That made Dean smile.

"Do all these 'theories' concern fledglings?" Sam frowned. Gabriel sat ramrod straight beside him, still close enough to touch the pulse point at his wrist when he had to. At least the 'resistance' hunters didn't try to separate them. They asked some individual questions, but Sam appreciated that he was able to join his angel. The separation wouldn't have ended well for anyone.

"I think I know what they're doing." Gabriel murmured before Rick had a chance to even open his mouth. He stared at the tabletop in front of them. "Do you have a map or some- some blueprints?"

"Y-yes. Yeah, right here-" the stocky man pulled some wrapped up- clearly stolen- blueprints from a nearby drawer, laying them out for the archangel and waiting with baited breath. He didn't have to wait long. Gabe furrowed his brow and drew in a shaky inhale.

"It's a breeding program." He muttered, in a state somewhat like awe mixed with revulsion. Gabriel's hands shook slightly, but his voice gave nothing away. "They- they're breeding angels like _cattle_, and selling away - or killing- the ones that don't... don't-" he cut himself off, able to feel the slipping grip he had on his emotions. Gabriel was shaking against Sam, who loosely wrapped an arm around the angel and lightly stroked his back.

He wasn't sure what he expected Gabe to do. But every muscle he skimmed instantly tensed into a firm wall, shutting him out.

"N-no."

"Gabriel, please. It's me- Sam, I won't-"

"Hurt me? You don't have to Kiddo, every other greedy sucker in the goddamn human race already has." His laugh was a disturbingly hollow sound, worse than the flashbacks, worse than the moment he woke up in Bobby's spare room, and the younger Winchester felt his heart constrict. Gabriel pulled his body away from his and Sam resisted the urge to chase his angel.

"But I'm not. I'm not everyone else, Gabe- none of us here are going to do that. We want it to stop too-"

"_He_ put the collars on me in the first place" he pointed an accusatory finger at Rick "_he_ was there when they transferred me to Carl's" that was Smith "an-and _he_ was one of the guys that f-f-first took me." that was the southern second in command in the corner of the room. Gabriel licked his lips in frustration and almost looked like he was rolling his eyes at himself. Sam could tell he was scolding himself in his head, and getting sick of the cracks and shakes in his voice.

But he still wouldn't let Sam touch him. Not a single finger.

There was no getting through to him like this. Gabriel shook, his breath caught over and over like a broken record, and the air around him tensed and crackled with grace and sheer mania. He'd been scared for Gabriel before.

He was almost scared of Gabriel now.

The golden eyes glowed with tears and murder and from the moment he met him as a trickster, Sam knew how wrathful 'Loki' could be. He didn't know why he assumed that the archangel behind the pagan mask would be any different.

Dean and Cas stood in the doorway. The hunter wrapped his hand tightly around the trenchcoated angels waist like he would run away. Castiel's blue eyes were full of tears that understood differently then anyone ever could, and he gently shook away deans hand.

"Cas-"

"Dean, please." He pleaded to his hunter, turning to face Gabriel. "Brother?" He tentatively approached him, and Sam could do nothing but sit on the sidelines and wish he could reach out to his archangel.

"Cas, I-" Gabriel hadn't exactly been himself (understatement) since he came back. It was expected, and Sam definitely didn't hold any of his outbursts and flashbacks against the angel. But, he'd never seen him so... unhinged.

His eyes were hopelessly exhausted and so so bloodshot and sad. He curled in slightly on himself, his cocky posture and swagger completely lost in the ocean of terror and pain. He always kept his back to the wall- unless he had Sam at his side- like he was protecting his wings. He was like a caged animal, backed up and crackling with a need to just _get out_. Fear and pain gripped at Sam's heart til his own tears blurred his vision.

"I know, I know, Gabriel... We'll fix things, everything will be alright." Cas managed to get within a foot of his brother before Gabe backed up more. The trenchcoated angel raised his hands a little in peaceful surrender. The electric crackle of grace and power faded into the atmosphere a little more. Sam felt himself exhale, but couldn't say it was a conscious response. Gabe still looked more lost than he'd ever seen him, and he wouldn't know how to relax til the archangel was safely back in his arms.

"We're nothing but animals to them, we're money and sick pleasure to them, how-?"

"We're important to_ them_." Cas reached a hand out behind himself, gesturing at Sam and Dean, and Sam tried to make himself look as welcoming and loving as possible. And hopefully a little less terrified. "That's what matters, Gabriel. You know that, Brother... you're just angry..." A tentative hand reached out to Gabriel's shoulder, and he trembled and shook under the new touch.

"I- I just.." words caught in the archangel's throat, and he crumbled completely, falling forward to land in his baby brother's arms. His hands clawed and scrabbled for purchase in Castiel's trenchcoat, like he would disappear like his other brothers and sisters. Like his father.

Sam waited until the energy dissolved in the air, and Gabriel's sobs became tired heaves. When he finally felt his feet move him forward, Dean close on his heels, the two angels were crying in each others arms. He placed a huge hand gently between the archangel's shoulder blades, right where the wings would extend, and breathed a deep sigh as Gabriel relaxed into his warm touch.


	9. Chapter 9

** HELLO LADIES AND GENTS! This is a Cliffhanger. MUAHAHAHA I'm a bad person :)****  
**

** So, after I finish up You'll Never Walk Alone (which should only have a few more chapters) I've been tossing around the idea of a fantasy AU. Destiel slash and fairytale-esque. Would you guys like that? Review or PM me with any ideas or or things you want to see! **

** I hope you like it! As always, read and review!****  
**

** I own nothing.****  
**

** Enjoy!**

Hours passed that felt like days, and dean had made himself reasonably comfortable with Rick, studying the blueprints of the building layout. Cas stood close by his side, never more than a stones throw away from the hunter like the resistance hunters would take him away at a moments notice. It didn't make dean feel uncomfortable or cornered- like he had when Cas first started doing the hovering thing- instead it made him smile at the normalcy of it, and he felt a glow in his chest that made him feel warm and needed. The two of them talked idly over the blueprints, silently planning strategies through glances and touch. Rick had been as kind as the next guy, but dean couldn't trust him. And he _definitely_ couldn't trust his friends. If they kept eyeing Cas- like he was an abomination or sick dog to put down- like they were, dean was gonna start throwing punches.

Sam and Gabe were constantly in sight. Dean made sure that no matter where the two went in the cavernous, gutted church, he could always check on them with a flick of his eyes.

Neither of them could really be considered 'okay'.

The shrimpy little archangel was curled up against Sammy, pressing himself close like he was trying to become a part of him. And it wasn't exactly a secret that Sam had been absolutely terrified at the crazed outburst earlier. They all had been, but Sam was shaking and crying when Gabriel finally allowed himself to be held by him again, and gripped him so tight that the archangel would've snapped a rib if he was human. Now, they were cuddled together with Gabriel cradled between Sammy's long, folded up legs that wrapped around them. His big hands stroked up and down Gabe's sides and back- soothing his invisible wings. Gabriel had a hand tenderly rubbing across Sammy's cheek and down his neck- a sweet little gesture that Dean never would've thought to come from the trickster: an 'I'm so sorry I scared you' motion. Sam smiled sadly down at the archangel. Dean had never seen his baby brother look so hopelessly tired. Or so completely in love.

God, he was turning into a sap.

"Sammy?" For the first time in what felt like forever, Sam actually smiled a little at the nickname.

"Yes, Gabriel?" He murmured back, nose tucked into the soft, golden hair at the crown of Gabe's head. He felt him nuzzle closer into the crook of his neck before speaking.

"I'm so sorry, I-"

"Nothing is your fault, Baby-"

"Please, Sam." His angel pleaded and Sam sighed, bracing himself for the apology. "Just listen. I- I could've hurt you today. You were just trying to help, but I guess I was- I was too busy, flyin' over the cuckoos nest or something." He chuckled hollowly, sounding more like a sob. Sam squeezed him tight around the waist, and the archangel cut himself off with a muffled 'sorry' into his collarbone.

"Please don't apologize, Gabe. Baby, you are _not_ crazy. You're coping, and it's hard-"

"Sam, you don't get it-"

"I think I do-"

"But you _don't_!" He bolted upright, looking Sam straight in the eye. "I was trying, so _so hard_ to keep control of my grace today, but- but I started slipping. I can't keep control, and I'm dangerous to you til I can." The tears welled up in his golden eyes _again_ and Sam felt his heart crack at how frustrated Gabe looked because of the water blurring his vision. "You'd think I wouldn't have any more tears left..." He spoke mostly to himself, but Sam still wiped his cheeks and pressed his lips to the back of the angels neck as he settled back against his chest.

Dean met his eyes across the room, and Sam nodded gently to the silent 'are you okay?' that was sent his way.

He knew they should get up soon and figure out the next plan of action, but he just couldn't bring himself to stand, or drag Gabriel up. The only one more tired than Sam was the archangel himself.

His nightmares were getting worse, and it showed. Gabe was dragging his feet, and his smirks were empty. He was mentally and emotionally 'inside out and backwards' (Gabriel's words, but they made Sam smile a little). His angel was almost completely healed _physically_, however, and his grace was fully repaired.

Apparently, his control over it still needed some work, though.

Sam wanted to close his eyes. Just close his eyes and snuggle up with his angel. He wanted to sleep until he couldn't anymore, and all this shitstorm of breeding and genocide and slavery was peacefully over.

Leaden weights clogged up his heart and dragged him down. Would this ever end?

Cas beckoned them over to where he and Dean were inspecting blueprints.

"Dude, I think we got this bastard right where we want him." Dean hissed out, hurriedly checking for how near Rick and the other guys were before gesturing to the layout on the table. "This is bea-u-tiful. See this right here?" He pointed down at a huge room on the top floor "Harkness' office. This is the control center for all of the Death Star: everything is in here, and The smith lord himself'll be there tomorrow night." Dean smiled like a little kid in DisneyLand, so Sam bit back his criticisms.

"So what's the plan?" Gabe beat him to it, muscles tense and fists clenched at the idea of taking down this sucker. Sam massaged the base of his neck, trying to avoid anymore rogue grace from his angel.

"The last time we were there, Cas and I went in undercover, but that's not gonna work this time. We need a new plan of action. Cas and I were talking about it, and while neither of us are super behind the idea, it's probably our only chance: we have two angels where we only had one. Just zap us inside with your mojo."

"Dean." Sam felt his voice tighten over his brothers name. "This is the worst idea _ever_. Gabe's not well and Cas' grace isn't strong enough, we-"

"There are too many foreign ears here, Sam. We should discuss this after we leave." Cas hissed.

Smith watched them from the other side of the chain link, passing by with a look that was almost a glare as he made his way down the center of the once-sanctuary.

"When do we go?" Sam asked, even more eager to get out of the cobwebbed vacuum of a space.

"Now." Dean tossed the word over his shoulder, headed toward the stocky man looking over stolen spreadsheets. Rick lifted his eyes as his brother approached.

"We'll, you can't leave _now_." His voice filtered through the room and Sam felt his heart stop for a long second.

"Why not?" Deans posture was rigid.

"We need you! We raid the headquarters in barely a week from today, you know the place as well as we do- more hands makes lighter work, son."

"Don't call me that." Dean instantly cut him off, wiping the welcoming smile off Rick's face with his stony gaze. "We aren't your missionaries. And we're leaving." He turned on his heel, gesturing for Sam and the angels to start to the door as he walked.

The safety coming off the gun cracked like a chipping iceberg into the room.

"I really can't let you boys go. I'm sorry- we need you."

Hunters advanced from all sides, and Sam felt his breathing stop as he forced Gabriel behind him. He felt the shared electricity of Gabe and Cas, and wished that he had gotten his gun back. Dean pulled out his, and stationed himself firmly in front of his own angel. Rick looked more manic than before, not insane per say, but desperate.

"I'm sorry, boys. I really am. But I need you."


End file.
